Madden 25: What Everyone Is Saying
Madden 25 was released earlier today, much to the satisfaction of NFL fans. But, the question now is what exactly does the gaming review community think of the game? We reviewed Madden 25 here at GameSided, but we wanted to gauge a fuller understanding of how the game has been received.
The Good Scores:
"Madden NFL 25 is as fun to play and enjoyable as any ultra-modern sports game could hope to be while still toeing the advanced feature line. The NFL itself breeds die-hards who need every tiny option at their disposal and casual fans happy to enjoy some healthy competition. While Madden NFL 25 does an admirable job of catering to those with little use for, say, the ability to make 14 changes before each snap, it stays true to its ethos to give you as much control as you could possibly want. Asses and all."
"The game that marks the series’ silver anniversary offers a good mix of features introduced in the games that came before it. Connected Franchise, with the introduction of owner mode, is a great realization of digital NFL ownership offerings seen in the past, while the new ball-carrier moves push the game forward. Of course, Madden 25 could use an update or two to iron out the Infinity Engine and blocking system’s tendency to let nearly any running back plow through the defense."
"Madden 25 is an improved version of the clumsy Madden 13, which was better than any Madden game that released on this generation of consoles. The physics are good and make manipulating these hulking brutes in a fabricated 3D space feel comfortable and occasionally interesting. Ultimate Team is still nothing I want to do, ever."
The Bad Scores:
"It’s a shame that EA Sports decided to make such a big deal out of the Madden anniversary this year. Putting that big “25” on the box cover ramps up expectations and may well make a standard baby-steps Madden sequel seem more disappointing. The heart of how the game plays on the field has been transplanted from its predecessor, making this a small shuffle forward that settles for subtle enhancements while leaving a lot of long-standing flaws intact for another year. This just isn’t a fitting way to celebrate a milestone in the long life of one of the biggest and best franchises in gaming history."
"They changed the naming style, and they changed the loading menus, and they even changed their annual national cover vote to reflect their quarter-century milestone. But they still haven’t truly changed the game. And for Madden 25, that means an average video game in a special anniversary year."
The Ugly:
"Perhaps with next generation computing and visual power (and, who knows, maybe a new controller makes this modifier more useful) my biggest problems with this series will be magically resolved. The anger over Madden on this console generation comes from the fact the only standard to which the game is held is the one it created in the previous. This brand and this sport in particular, in the North American market, should be held to a higher standard than that, and it’s one this game does not meet."
Conclusion: If you’re a fan of the Madden series, then pick up Madden 25. The game seems to be a return to the glory years the title once had. If you’re on the fence and planning on picking up a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One later this year, maybe wait for then and pick up a next-gen version. The only way to know for sure if you like a video game is to play it yourself!